The first of two Austal-built Bay Class Patrol Boats was gifted to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) by the Australian Government, at an event held in Port Klang, Malaysia on Tuesday, March 17.
The 38m Bay Class Patrol Boat, previously the ACV Arnhem Bay and now KM Perwira, was received by the MMEA following a flag-transfer ceremony held in Cairns, Queensland, Australia on 10th February 2015. A second vessel is due for delivery in April/May 2015.
ACV Arnhem Bay completed 279,118 nautical miles in its 3,627 sea days of operational service for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS). A total of eight 38m Bay Class Patrol Boats were produced by Austal and entered service with the ACBPS from February 1999, quickly proving invaluable in the agency’s coastal surveillance, security and border protection activities, throughout Australia’s waters.
The ACBPS are currently updating their entire patrol boat fleet with eight new 58m Cape Class Patrol Boats, designed, constructed and maintained by Austal Australia. With the MMEA policing all of Malaysia’s maritime zones, which includes over 4,900 kilometres of coastline and one of the world’s busiest sea lanes – the Malacca Strait, Austal shall offer through-life capability management services to the Bay Class Patrol Boats, in order to maintain the excellent condition in which the MMEA received them.
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Image: Austal